Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Sierra Nevada Brewery may be new to the Carolinas but it has been in existence since 1980 and was named after the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. The founders, Ken Grossman and Paul Camusi, started out as homebrewers with a passion for craft brewing before it was a mainstream pursuit. With their first brew shop set up in Chico, California, it wasn’t long before expansion was necessary.

Fast forward to 2012 and you have the opening of their North Carolina location. Why NC? According to sources at Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. it was so they could more adequately provide for fans on this side of the Mississippi. Lucky us! While you’re visiting the Asheville area you can visit the brewery, grab a tour, head to the taproom to grab a brew, and enjoy some farm-to-table selections from their chef.

The brews can be greatly characterized by their origins, California style brewing is at the heart of their brews with the addition of experimental styles and southern elements in their seasonal offerings. In the taproom they have at least 23 different types of beer on tap and even more in the brewery itself.

Speaking of the brewery, if you have an interest in craft brewing or would like information about beer tastings, sign up online for one of their tours. This is an area I feel Sierra Nevada excels at. Seven different tours ranging from free to a well-worth-it thirty dollars allows you to get as much or as little information as you like. If you’ve got kids in tow, they even offer a 12 and up tour that allows them a peek into the the warehouse. Reservations do tend to fill up so make sure you make them well in advance. You have to sign up on their website.

If you’re the outdoorsy type, go ahead and book the Trip in the Woods Tour for a 1.5 mile hike and nature walk that ends in a nice beer tasting at the Estate Garden. If you, like me, want all the details, go for the Beer Geek Tour to learn just about everything that you could possibly learn about brewing and beer in general. This one is around 3 hours, so make sure you come prepared to stand and walk around for that length of time.

Overall, Sierra Nevada Brewery Co. is well worth a visit. The beers are good, the tours extensive, and the live music events at their outdoor amphitheater combine good music and great booze. You won’t want to miss it.